Ecclesiasticus (Sirach) 26

Double. Uneasiness deprives a person of much comfort. (Worthington)

To a, &c., is not in Greek. (Haydock)

Fourth. A jealous wife, ver. 8.

City. When all are charged with a crime, or when all rise up against a man. (Calmet)

Woman. Greek adds, “against another woman.”

With. Greek, “and the scourge of the tongue, which,” &c. (Haydock)

Back-biting occasions the four evils aforesaid. (Grotius)

Woman. When oxen move, the yoke moves also: Thus heresy will suffer none to rest. (Worthington)

The yoke ought to fit the neck, and not be fastened to the horns. (Colum. ii. 2.)

Hid. She will be given to debauchery. (St. Chrysostom) (Calmet)

Romulus ordered wives to be slain, like adulteresses, who had drunk wine at home. (V. Max. vi. 3.)

Eye-lids. Shewing her impudence, 2 Peter ii. 14., and Isaias iii. 16.

Herself. From gazing at men. (Calmet)

Love manifests itself by the eyes. (Propert.)

Hedge. Or “stake,” palum, (Haydock) on which tents were fixed, Genesis xxxviii. 14. (Calmet)

Fail. Incontinence will at last ruin her health. (Haydock)

Bones. The Catholic faith is the ground of all virtues. (Worthington)

Worth. Literally, “exchange;” (Greek; Haydock) such a wife is above all price. (Menochius)

Continent. Adhering to virtue. (Calmet)

Holy. Made of gold, and placed in the sanctuary. (Menochius)

Soles. Greek, “heels.” Complutensian, “solid pavement.” A long addition follows in this edition, which is inserted by Grabe, (Haydock; but is not in the best copies. Calmet) instead of the following verse. (Haydock)

Poverty. The Romans provided for veteran soldiers, as Louis XIV did with great magnificence. (Calmet)

Greenwich hospital is for the same purpose. (Haydock)

Despised. Solomon makes the same complaint, Ecclesiastes ix. 15.

To sin. He is less excusable, as he knows what he abandons, Jeremias ii. 12. (Calmet)

Two. Greek, “scarcely is a merchant exempt from negligence, and the seller of wine, and eatables, (Grotius) or retailer (Voss. kapelos) shall not be justified from sin.” (Haydock)

Negligence. That is, from the neglect of the service of God: because the eager pursuit of the mammon of this world, is apt to make men of that calling forget the great duties of loving God above all things, and their neighbours as themselves.

A huckster. Or a retailer of wine. Men of that profession are both greatly exposed to danger of sin themselves, and are too often accessary to the sins of others. (Challoner)

Lips. Innkeepers talk much to please, and thus fall into danger, Proverbs x. 19. (Worthington)

They are also exposed to lying, (Menochius) and to adulterate their merchandise. (Calmet)